POS0192-PARE TOWARDS A NEW APPROACH ON RESEARCH DESIGNS: PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS CO-CREATING AND CO-DEVELOPING A MOBILE APPLICATION FOR THE SELF-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. THE TOUS INCLUDE PROJECT
Authors: N. Malliou, P. Antoniou, K. Antonopoulou, A. Mpillis, S. Reppou, A. Pappa, P. Bamidis
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Treatment options for pain in osteoarthritis (OA) aim to reduce or help patients manage their pain efficiently. According to guidelines non-pharmacological therapies are the first treatment option and pharmacological therapies follow. But in many cases pharmacological options are the first choice and researchers are trying to find better ways for OA pain management for both patients and HCPs. <h3>Objectives</h3> Aim of this presentation is to showcase an innovative research design where patients are involved in a project from the planning phase to the implementation and development phase step by step working together with healthcare professionals. The project itself, TOUS Include, aims to integrate a digital intervention and educational activities into a patient centered mobile health application for both the patients and the healthcare professionals to use to help them better manage chronic pain of osteoarthritis. <h3>Methods</h3> The project is co-designed and co-developed from one phase to another. Phase I used a mixed methods gap analysis leading to the basic unmet needs that both groups, patients and HCPs, had regarding management and treatment of chronic pain of OA. Moving on to phase II, co-creation sessions in groups of patients and HCPs led to the basic scenarios, common mistakes and incorrect pathways that both groups take when dealing with everyday pain in OA. Meanwhile educational videos and webinars have taken place with participation from both groups for patients and HCPs. <h3>Results</h3> For phase III, developing of the virtual patient scenarios for the mobile health application, which will be one of the main features of the digital intervention, using data from phase I and II, results have already shown that there is a gap in patient and HCPs communication. The qualitative analysis of data showed that patients' health literacy could be a reason for that as well as lack of enough time for consultations. Another main point is that both groups use more frequently (32,7%) medication to manage chronic pain of OA rather than a non-pharmacological option such as physiotherapy (21,8%). Finally, analysis showed that both patients (medium=4.92) and HCPs (medium=4.7) thought that participating in co-creative sessions is very important (1=lowest, 5=highest). <h3>Conclusion</h3> This innovative research design has involved patients from day one. Its planning, conceptualization and implementation has been involving patients not only at the receiving end of an intervention but as an integral part of the research team, the design and implementation. The TOUS Include project is a collaboration of patients, patient organizations, a university department, a professional health care professionals' society and healthcare professionals. It's quite inclusive, thus an example that could easily showcase how research designs for patients could involve them from beginning to end for the benefit of everyone involved. <h3>References</h3> [1]Zhao, P., Yoo, I., Lancey, R., &amp; Varghese, E. (2019). Mobile applications for pain management: An app analysis for clinical usage. <i>BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making</i>, <i>19</i>(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-019-0827-7 [2]Tick, H., Nielsen, A., Pelletier, K. R., Bonakdar, R., Simmons, S., Glick, R., … Zador, V. (2018). Evidence-Based Nonpharmacologic Strategies for Comprehensive Pain Care: The Consortium Pain Task Force White Paper. Explore, 14(3), 177–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2018.02.001 [3]Najm, Aurelie, Lempp, H., Gossec, L., Berenbaum, F., &amp; Nikiphorou, E. (2020). Needs, experiences, and views of people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases on self-management mobile health apps: Mixed methods study. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 8(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2196/14351 <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> The TOUS Include project is funded by the European Pain Federation EFIC and Pfizer-Lilly Alliance Grant on Education in Pain Associated With Osteoarthritis. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.